The Truth About Tanning
People who think that indoor tanning or sunbeds are a safer option are mistaken. There is no such thing as a healthy tan, which in fact indicates skin damage.
Be SunSmart Everywhere
Although our SunSmart Campaign runs from December to January, CANSA reminds all South Africans to be SunSmart throughout the year and especially during Summer.
Sunburn can occur within fifteen minutes, and the damage caused is permanent, irreversible and adds up with each exposure to the sun.
Skin cancer is the most common cancer worldwide and SA has one of the highest monitored ultra violet (UV) levels in the world, resulting in one of the highest skin cancer rates globally.
UV radiation is just as dangerous for outdoor labourers, sports people, on the playground or when driving to work, as it is when at the beach or pool. Rays can also reflect off surfaces and cause sunburn when it is overcast.
It’s getting hotter, so be SunSmarter!
World Antimicrobial Awareness Week
WAAW is celebrated from 18-24 November every year. The theme for WAAW 2023 will remain “Preventing antimicrobial resistance together”, as in 2022. AMR is a threat to humans, animals, plants and the environment. It affects us all.
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial agents. As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents become ineffective and infections become difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.
The World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) is a global campaign to raise awareness and understanding of AMR and promote best practices among One Health stakeholders to reduce the emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections. WAAW is celebrated from 18-24 November every year.
The theme for WAAW 2023 will remain “Preventing antimicrobial resistance together“, as in 2022. AMR is a threat to humans, animals, plants and the environment. It affects us
all.
Why do we need to be aware of antimicrobial resistance?
Antimicrobial resistance jeopardizes advancements in modern health care that we have come to rely on, such as joint replacements, organ transplants, and cancer therapy. These procedures have a significant risk of infection, and patients won’t be able to receive them if effective antibiotics are not available.
That is why this year’s theme calls for cross-sectoral collaboration to preserve the effectiveness of antimicrobials. To effectively reduce AMR, all sectors must use antimicrobials prudently and appropriately, take preventive measures to decrease the incidence of infections and follow good practices in disposal of antimicrobial contaminated waste.
Diabetes
World Diabetes Day is the primary global awareness campaign focusing on diabetes mellitus and is held on 14 November each year.
The theme for World Diabetes Day 2021-23 is Access to Diabetes Care.
- Millions of people with diabetes around the world do not have access to diabetes care.
- People with diabetes require ongoing care and support to manage their condition and avoid complications.
We cannot wait any longer for:
- Medicine, technologies, support and care to be made available to all people with diabetes that require them.
- Governments to increase investment in diabetes care and prevention.
In 2023, the campaign will focus on the importance of knowing your risk of type 2 diabetes to help delay or prevent the condition and highlighting the impact of diabetes-related complications and the importance of having access to the right information and care to ensure timely treatment and management.
SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT DIABETES IN NOVEMBER!
World Diabetes Day is a global occasion on which people with diabetes, health professionals, diabetes advocates, media, the general public and government organisations unite to raise awareness of diabetes. Your participation – both in the build-up to and following 14 November – is key to the success of the campaign. Taking part can be exciting and hugely rewarding!
The theme for World Diabetes Day 2021-23 is Access to Diabetes Care. The focus of the campaign in 2023 is on delaying or preventing type 2 diabetes and diabetes-related complications, with the slogan “Know your risk, Know your response.”
You can support the call and raise awareness of the need for more diabetes education in a number of ways
National Disability Rights Awareness Month
South Africa celebrates National Disability Rights Awareness Month annually between 3 November and 3 December. 3 December is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and is also celebrated as National Disability Rights Awareness Day.
On this day, World Health Organization (WHO) joined its partners to celebrate under the theme (A Day for All), which reflects a growing understanding that disability is part of the human condition.
Disability is the consequence of an impairment that may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental, or some combination of these. A disability may be present from birth, or occur during a person’s lifetime.
The Disability Awareness Month offers an opportunity for all of us to remove these barriers and to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities through concrete action.
The Department of Women, Youth and People with Disabilities is responsible for driving the government’s equity, equality and empowerment agenda in terms of those living with disabilities.
What are the colours for disability month?
The Disability Pride Flag, initially designed in 2019 by Ann Magill, was created to encompass all disabilities. It was revised in 2021 with community input, and is now in the public domain. Within the flag, each color stripe has a meaning:
- Red – physical disabilities
- Gold – neurodiversity
- White – invisible disabilities and disabilities that haven’t yet been diagnosed
- Blue – emotional and psychiatric disabilities, including mental illness, anxiety, and depression
- Green – for sensory disabilities, including deafness, blindness, lack of smell, lack of taste, audio processing disorder, and all other sensory disabilities
The faded black background mourning and rage for victims of ableist violence and abuse. The diagonal Bband cuts across the walls and barriers that separate the disabled from normate society, also representing light and creativity cutting through the darkness.
https://diversity.ldeo.columbia.edu/heritage-months/disability-pride